Chromatography Forum

Hello,

my two Agilent 6890N machines are paired with Gerstel MPS 2 autosamplers. They perform quite well and I should be happy about them. Problem is samplers do not fully communicate with the machines and I am narrowed with the possibilities ver mutch. It requires a lot of manual approach and this means (due to specific issueas of our lab) I can not intensivelly use the equipment. I am narrowed to 8 hours day time operations.
Have heard that there should be a solution, but my source could not provide it.
Any advice appreciated.

Can you give us some specific examples of what is not working? Error messages? Which software configuration do you have?

Hello, bhuvfe,

the software is ChemStation. There is no propper communication between the samplers and the machines. The only communication between equipment is: signals alowing sampler to take another step and sampler informing the machine about injection. Sequences are run by the samplers but 6890N sees that as a groups of single cycles. I can not use the sequence table — ChemStation does not allow it. (Possibility to use sequence table is all that I want.) So it requires the analyst to be arround the machine all the time (do not meen every minute though) machine is run.

Ryklys,

You should have a software called either Master or Maestro (look into the Gerstel directory of your computer). That's what is controlling the MPS.

You should find in the Gerstel directory also a system configuration tool.
Check if everything is installed correctly and if the software is embedded in chemstation or not.

I have several Gerstel+Agilent system and what you describe is not typical. Depending on the age of your system you should be able either to run sequences in Chemstation (if you have Maestro and if you check the oprion ''integrated'' in the configuration tool) or using Chemstation and Maestro as standalone (in this case you will need to prepare 2 sequences and 2 methods for each software).

Good luck.

Thank you bhuvfe very mutch.

Unfortunately my case is very bad, as far as I understand: no Master or Maestro programs, could not find any Gerstel directory on my PC. Hopefully just did not find yet (could be hidden somewhere I didn't think of looking into). ChemStation is installed into diferent directory than Program files. This may not be important but sill raises many questions that I can not answer and no one in our lab eather.
I came to work to this lab ~ 2years ago and equipment was purchased ~7 years ago. And nobody can tell my what was done why or even by whom.
Most important question now is: should that Measter/Maestro program be in the programs package or is it optional (in that case I would think my managers tried to cut of the expences)? Our communications with a local Agilent representatives/service company is not good. And I can't ask certain questions directly, unfortunately.

Maybe try a local Gerstel distributor or contact Gerstel directly.

The software is generally supplied with the MPS and is on the C drive in the directory ''gerstel''.

But I think that you should be able to run a sequence even without the software. There's a small remote control with a LCD (the one that is used when changing the syringe). From this remote control you can program a method (with the washes you need, etc..) and using the function ''add job'' you will get a sequence. Ideally, if you start both chemstation and this remote you should get your systems running unattended.
The only thing you have to check is if one software waits for the other (if not you will need to make a longer method on the remote to avoid that the MPS starts when the oven is not ready..).

Maybe try a local Gerstel distributor or contact Gerstel directly.

I did. And they responded extremely quickly and told me that due to something they can't help and I should contact local Gerstel distributors. But the funn is: local Gerstel distributor is the same enterprise as for Agilent...